My thoughts on the Atlanta food scene, with occasional forays into the world beyond. We talk about both restaurant reviews and recipes.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Philadelphia: Pat's King of Steaks

On my recent trip to Philadelphia, my first stop was Pat's King of Steaks. Pat's invented the cheesesteak and they are masters of the form. When I got there at 2:30 in the afternoon, 50 people were in line ahead of me.As you can see, Pat had his rules for ordering long before the Food Nazi's rules. "Wid" means with onions. You have your choice of cheeses, including Cheez Whiz. Expect to eat outside, no matter what the weather. If you're lucky, you'll get a table underneath the awning.I ordered a provolone cheesesteak wid. A well-executed cheesesteak is a thing of beauty, and this one was a wonderful relief from the trip. I prefer provolone because of its more subtle flavor. Jason had a pizza steak which looked very hearty. Claudia had a hot dog and cheese fries, which she let us sample. The cheese fries use Cheez Whiz. The fries are not bad, but not really in the same league as the cheesesteak.